


Waves

by TheReiksmarshal



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Gore, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Hope, Redemption, Revenge, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 12:00:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20929871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReiksmarshal/pseuds/TheReiksmarshal
Summary: The devastation of Theramore equally broke Jaina Proudmoore and Vereesa Windrunner. Many of Jaina’s friends and comrades perished instantly in the explosion from the mana bomb unleashed by Garrosh, including Vereesa’s husband Rhonin.Now war looms on the horizon and the faction conflict threatens to unravel the Alliance, Dalaran and everything the two women have dedicated their lives to.Joined together by tragedy can they somehow overcome the shared trauma of the past to save what remains of their future?This story will start off shortly after Theramore and proceed through to the present patch 8.2.5.





	1. Preface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfiction/post on here so please excuse any mistakes or lack in quality. 
> 
> Also the preface needs work so I know already that will be revised and I already know one part I want to add to chapter one that will be added soon as well.

It is has been a long road that has lead me here, to writing what is both my first Warcraft story and my first fan fiction in general. Of course blizzard owns the rights to everything that follows and I own nothing. 

I have written very few pieces of creative writing in my life as well. However, I am excited to start breathing life into stories about this fandom and some cherished others. My reading list does not often include fiction as non-fiction has been the vast majority of my experience. However my favorite writers are Hemingway, Tolkein and Tolstoy so I hope to draw some inspiration from them. I hope then that you do not find my story overly morose and the writing plain or barren. 

My experience with Warcraft started with World of Warcraft in 2006 as some of my friends introduced me to both the universe and MMO’s in general. I played on and off through the Cataclysm but had largely shifted my MMO of choice over to Warhammer Online by that point. I was also an adamant Warcraft 3 player as well. I have not returned to Azeroth for any of the subsequent expansions so I will apologize in advance for any inconsistences or lack of knowledge on the lore and events of the subsequent expansions. 

My love and nostalgia for WOW did lead me to include my main character in this story however. I feel that the difficulty with WOW has been creating a narrative that keeps both factions happy and allows for the potential involvement of so many characters.

However that does lead the player to feeling left out and detached from the events of the main plot and characters. It is for this reason I decided to devote the viewpoint and actions of the player to one fleshed out individual rather than a cast of obscure ones.

This brings us to our main characters Jaina and Vereesa. I have been familiar with Jaina and the alliance of course since the very beginning of Warcraft 3. For many reasons I have always been drawn to the human factions in fantasy settings. I think this is because they are generally displayed as caricatures of our better virtues. The alliance story in Warcraft 3 begins with the shining kingdom of Lorderan as paladins of the light and mages with superhuman powers fight alongside ordinary foot soldiers to battle a tide of undeath and the subsequent demonic invasion. Humans do not have the strength or orcs, the heightened senses of elves nor are they supernatural beings like undead and demons. How they would act, feel and stand against such things while retaining their humanity has always been fascinating to me. It is not my intention to write a one sided story that simply displays the Horde as bad and the alliance as good. Rather it is my goal to portray the viewpoints and emotions of these characters as I believe they themselves would have seen and felt them. 

It is my personal opinion that this is the very purpose of fan fiction, to fill in the gaps in the narrative as we know it. In the games we don’t really get an idea of how Jaina’s thoughts and feelings about her troubled past ebb and flow over time. We don’t get to see how Vareesa interacts with her children or what she thinks about many events that would seem to be very important to her but from which she is inexplicably missing (the battle of Lorderan or the recent confrontation with Sylvanus). In order to shape this narrative I will hold the games and books as cannon and follow them as closely as I can. My intention is to support and enhance that which we have. I will keep particularly close to the events in the books Tides of War and War Crimes both by Christie Golden. This story begins at nearly the moment Tides of War ends.

I write this because I feel that these two characters deserve it. I stumbled upon this ship in early 2019 after I saw some of the artwork from Battle for Azeroth that shows Jaina with her now partially white hair. Curious as to what happened to one of my favorite Warcraft characters I set about scouring the internet to get filled in on the story. That is when I discovered this ship and was awe struck by the capacity of the hurt, fear, healing, compassion and love that could be woven across its arc. Like so many great stories I think in the end it is a story about love. The kind of love that is faithful, unconditional and undying and that is a very worthy topic for a story indeed. 

I am disappointed that blizzard seems to have missed the potential of this relationship and instead went other routes namely the Kalec and Jaina romance. The idea that a human female and dragon would be together breaks so many universal laws of high fantasy (purely my opinion I realize)that it is the one thing from the game and novels I refuse to hold as cannon and it will not be mentioned in the story that follows. 

That brings us then to the story and the end of this unnecessarily long and rambling foreword. The story then fits between the end of Tides of War and the siege of Orgimar (again sigh…) that we just witnessed in patch 8.2.5. I am not really sure what to think about what we just witnessed but I can only hope that blizzard uses this as a chance to work in a climatic conclusion to the saga of the Windrunner sisters. Instead of Slyvanas squaring off against random orcs and other Horde members, it seems to me that Alleria and Vereesa would have wanted to be the ones that put her down and bring closure to her story but what do I know. We may just yet get to see something so epic in the future.

I intend to post this story one chapter at a time but unfortunately that means this will be a work in progress and I will be prone to going back to change and improve things as the story goes on. The narrative will cover a long period of time and will involve a lot of build up so please bear with me. We all know where this going and that it will be worth it in the end.

~The Reiksmarshal  
For Sigmar, for the Empire!


	2. Chapter 2

The twilight slowly began to fade from fiery orange to cool indigo, night was falling on the City of Dalaran. 

Watching the sunset run its course over the rooftops of the Violet citadel was one of Jaina Proudmoore’s favorite things about living in the magical floating city. The colors of the sunset were different everywhere the city went from Crystalsong in the distant north to the Elywnn forest where the city currently resided.

This day in Dalaran was not one of her favorites however; in fact it was one of the very worst. 

The city had come to Elwynn forest so the alliance could easily gather for the funeral of one of its most valiant leaders, Archmage Rhonin Dragonheart. The archmage had met his demise in the battle of Theramore not even two weeks in the past.

Jaina mulled the word battle over in her mind, no battle was not the correct word she decided. Theramore had been a massacre. The Alliance had fared well and the momentum was shifting their way until the cowardly orc Garrosh Hellscream had deployed his secret weapon. A mana bomb of great size and power had been dropped on the core of the city and instantly obliterated it and everyone inside. 

For his part Rhonin had shown great heroism and valor by trying to draw the mana bomb to himself in the center of the city. The effort had been in vain, the bomb was powerful beyond his reckoning and everyone had still died.

Everyone save Jaina that was. The very thought of which still brought hot tears to her eyes. Rhonin had summoned a portal at the last second and shoved her through it to safety. She would later come to learn that he had already deemed her as his successor as archmage according to a prophecy. 

She had just finished her remarks on Rhonin’s deeds and taken her seat at the long head table on top of a terrace of the citadel overlooking the city. Many of the leaders of the alliance were seated at the table as well, Varian Wrynn, his adolescent son Anduin, the three dwarven leaders, Genn Greymane, Gelbin Mekkatorque of the gnomes, the council of magi known as the six and of course Versessa Windrunner the widow of Rhonin and her two sons Giramar and Galadin. 

Spread around them in a semi-circle of tables were the other citizens of Dalaran who had come to attend the ceremony and pay their respects to the deceased leader. However, rather than a funeral of mourning and black dress the event was to be a joyful celebration of life per the instruction of Rhonin’s family to honor his humor, impetuous manner and love of life. 

The effort was only half way effective as the mood was noticeably dour as war and instability seemed on the near horizon. This was especially true considering the current events that had led to this ceremony.

A feast had been provided but Jaina did not partake, she certainly was not in the mood for the attempt at revelry. Her slight figure had grown even slimmer Jaina reflected, her eating and sleeping schedule had been irregular these past weeks to say the least.It also wouldn’t help everyone’s constant fretting over her well being she thought as her attention turned to the others at the table. Despite the impressive list of names and titles seated at the table Jaina was most nervous about the idea of interaction with Rhonin’s widow, Vereesa. In fact she was terrified of it.

Despite one brief interaction between when she had returned from the ruins of Theramore and her departure to destroy Orgimmar, Jaina had not said a word directly to her.

Vereesa had not accused her of anything in their prior meeting; rather she had just asked what Jaina planned to do about Garrosh. Jaina had lost control of her emotions and spilled out all of the details of everything that had happened with her and Rhonin in the tower at Theramore moments before the bomb’s detonation. Vereesa had then broken down and embraced Jaina briefly before they were summoned to meet with the council of the six.

Jaina had replayed their meeting over and over in her head. Jaina dreaded the notion that Vereesa resented her for Rhonin’s loss or worse even blamed her for it. The fact that Jaina, Vereesa and a few night elven sentinels were the only survivors weighed heavily on them all. So many had died but yet they were allowed to live. Jaina felt more directly responsible to Vereesa than anyone else in the world and had no idea what she would do or say should Vereesa confront her on it. Rhonin had listened to Jaina’s plea and came to her aid, he had died for it.

Jaina couldn’t help but sneak a sideways glance towards Vereesa, her eyes widened as she only saw Giramar and Galadin gloomily sitting in silence alongside the leading rangers of the Silver Covenant. Vereesa’s chair was empty.

Jaina quickly scanned the terrace and barely caught a hint of red fabric disappearing through one of the archways on the far side.

“Excuse me” she blurted awkwardly to no one in particular as she pushed away from the dining table, receiving only a mumbled response from those seated near her. Jaina’s mind was already frantically searching for an idea of what she would say or do if she caught up with Vereesa. 

Vereesa had been her acquaintance for several years while Rhonin was archmage, their paths meeting intermittently as she went to and from Dalaran in recent years. She couldn’t say she knew much about the elf at all other than her family had a fierce reputation as warriors and the infamous reputation of her older sister Sylvanas who was now one of the leading members of the horde. 

Thinking of Sylvanas sent a shiver of nervousness down her back as she weaved through the outer tables filled with people who were not as close with Rhonin and so in a better albeit drunken mood. 

Hopefully dealing with this Windrunner would not be as intimidating as the thought of talking with the sister. Jaina had spent a lot of time among elves due to her many years in Dalaran. She had even been close friends with the prior blood elf patriarch Kael’thas Sunstrider, she assured herself. She could handle this. 

Finally she reached the archway and pushed aside the thin violet curtain covering the entry way. She saw no sign of Vereesa so she proceeded carefully down the dim hallway. After a few moments Jaina began to feel silly, perhaps Vereesa had just returned home to the silver enclave and one of her rangers would bring her sons home at the end of evening.

Jaina spun on her heel to head back when she heard a soft whimper. Freezing in place Jaina listened intently and heard the noise again down a side hallway off to her left. Jaina rounded the corner and there sitting on the cold tile floor, back against the wall, was Vereesa. Her knees were curled up to her chin and her thin elven face was buried in her arms. Jaina could tell she had been sobbing but had quieted down to a soft whimper now. 

Jaina instantly regretted having decided to go after Vereesa, her courage failed her as she searched for words. She was a mage and scholar by training, giving comfort and advice to the grieving was not her forte, particularly when she felt herself to be the primary person responsible for that grief. 

“Vereesa” she finally managed to say … “Are you alright”? 

The elf gasped and looked up, eyes wide in surprise. Jaina mentally slapped herself for asking such an obvious question. Her lover had just been obliterated by a mana bomb and they were at his funeral, of course she was not alright.  
Vereesa still hadn’t said a word; her blue dimly glowing eyes just stared at Jaina. Her expression was one of such raw sadness that Jaina forgot her apprehension and simply rushed over to Vereesa and enveloped her in a comforting embrace, kneeling to her level in one motion. 

Jaina’s heart sank as either her words or the human contact caused Vereesa to break into a new round of quiet sobbing, her hands grasped Jaina’s shoulders and her head rested on her chest.

Why, was the only word Jaina could make out in between sobs and Jaina had no answer to that herself. She could only just tighten her embrace of the silver haired woman in response.  
Finally after several moments Vereesa’s sobs started to subside and she lifted her head slowly to look at Jaina.

“Lady… Archmage Proudmoore, what are you doing here?”

That was the question she feared the most so naturally that was the first question she had asked first, Jaina thought. Jaina wanted to say that she had just been on her way home and had noticed the elf by accident. To prove that were no greater implications behind her presence and that she hadn’t been riddled with guilt over her role in Rhonin’s death. 

“I’m so sorry” Jaina said instead, the truth flowing out. “He was such a good man and he was doing the right thing, this should never have happened. All of this has been my fault”.  
“No, do not say that!” Vereesa bit back suddenly, her voice harsh.

Jaina recoiled physically at the unexpected vehemence in Vereesa’s tone. 

“My Rhonin went to Theramore of his own free will and fought for what he believed in. He was not a powerless victim as people keep making him out to be” The high elf’s voice continued to rise as she spoke.

“And I swear upon all of the gods that miserable bastard orc will know that we are not powerless and that we will hold him accountable in the end before I put the misbegotten cur out of his misery!”  
She was practically screaming now.

“This is the treachery of the horde, this is what I warned him about. The sunreavers, the orcs and the undead can never be trusted because they are monsters”!

“Why didn’t he listen”?

The question hung heavy in the air between them. Jaina’s heart continued to plummet as she realized that Vereesa’s grief contained so much rage… so similar to her own. It caused Jaina’s heart to break even further. Is this what she had looked like to Varian, Kalec and the others in her darkest hour?

Jaina now sat apart from Vereesa, her hands folded in her lap for lack of purpose. Her head bowed with blue eyes cast upon the ground.

Vereesa’s breathing was frantic and then it seemed she became aware of her surroundings once more and truly beheld the chastised looking Jaina for the first time. She had just berated the leader of Kirin tor who had likely just come to try and comfort her. Jaina felt Vereesa’s hands slide softly into hers. 

“Archmage Proudmoore” her voice was soft now with all of the steel of prior moments melted away. Her tone apprehensive like someone who has just dropped a priceless treasure and is unsure if it is broken.  
Blue eyes met as Jaina finally looked up to meet her gaze.

“I was so scared that you blamed me for everything” Jaina stammered. “I gave everything I had and still I let everybody down”. Dwelling upon Theramore again caused her chest to ache, her eyes squeezed shut to hold back the next round of tears and if Vereesa’s hands hadn’t prevented her she would have clinched her first until her nails caused the palms to bleed. 

Now Jaina felt tears welling in her eyes again and they began to run down her cheek.

She suddenly felt a hand upon her chin as the ranger general forced her to meet her gaze again.

Again Jaina wondered at her stupidity as now they both lay slumped on the ground in a back hallway, the fresh scars of their pain torn open, the elf seemed utterly broken and she was teetering on the edge herself.  
“That is ridiculous no one lost more than you did at Theramore. No, I do not blame you for my husbands death and this is the last time that you will ever blame yourself for that”

Vereesa seemed to have found her resolve in response to Jaina’s guilt, seeking to dissuade her fears in spite of her own crushing sorrow.

Jaina was surprised by the sharpness of the tone in the rangers command. It was enough to dispel any argument to the contrary and Jaina almost felt that she had been scolded.

She nodded slightly in agreement not sure how much she really believed herself. “I’ll try” she managed meekly. “It’s just that I can’t believe he is gone and the way everything happened. I could have done more, I should have the seen the implications of the missing focusing iris sooner”. 

Vereesa held her chin a moment longer and then slowly let her fingers slide off of the mage’s face. Her eyes still narrow as if she was trying to decide if she believed Jaina or not. 

Vereesa shook her head “Please don’t blame yourself. Rhonin wouldn’t want that he would want us to focus instead on how to bring justice to the murderers who did this”.

A moment of silence passed between them, both recognizing the truth of Vereesa words but neither one really knew what to do or say about how they would actually bring about this vengeance.  
Finally the elf sighed and rose to her feet and attempted to smooth the wrinkles from her red dress.

“Let us leave this place; I think I have had enough of people’s sympathy for one night”

“Let me walk you home…it’s the least I can do” Jaina offered instinctively, rising to her feet in the process. She wanted to slap a hand over her mouth as soon as she said it, anticipating this would earn her another reprimand from the ranger.

“Why? Wouldn’t that be sympathy?” Vereesa said flatly, no inflection in her voice as she turned to walk past Jaina in the narrow hallway. Watching Jaina out of the corner of her eye as she passed, Jaina thought she could see a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. 

She had opened her mouth to reply and then closed it again, flustered now. Perhaps the elf found her dumbfounded expression and nervousness at causing offense humorous. 

Vereesa had almost reached the end of the hallway as she called back over her shoulder “however I will accept your offer, I would enjoy the company tonight”. 

Jaina let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as she started down the hallway.

“I don’t think either of us are presentable enough to go back to the terrace” Jaina countered, guessing that she looked about as worse for wear as her counterpart, face still raw from tears, make up smeared and her white and blonde streaked hair askew.  
“Don’t worry I will send a ranger to collect my sons once we are back to the silver enclave. Trust me that I can get around your city without anyone noticing if I wish Archmage”. 

Jaina followed her through a winding series of stair cases and back hallways until suddenly they took a sharp turn and emerged through a doorway at street level. Jaina had lived here for many years and had never found the need to learn all of the back hallways of the Violet Citadel, apparently Vereesa had. 

Night had settled fully upon the city and the empty streets were dark where the street lamps didn’t reach, the night air was warm and still. 

They proceeded in silence, for her own part it was because Jaina had no idea where to turn the conversation to. She wondered if Vereesa’s silence was for her own reasons or because she really did find it amusing to make Jaina uncomfortable.

I’ve never been any good at this, I don’t know how to speak comfort to the grieving Jaina thought as the silence apart from their footsteps became deafening. She wasn’t sure how to approach the elf now after their encounter. She felt the need to assure Vereesa about how she would not rest until Rhonin was avenged and that she felt that Vereesa was the only alliance leader left who understood her. 

“What do you plan to do next”? Jaina managed simply. Perhaps overly direct but it was an honest summary of the questions she had about this woman who she felt so much shared pain with.

It was also the question in the back of Jaina’s mind as she had exchanged pleasantries with the other alliance leaders. Hating Garrosh was one thing but what were any of them actually prepared to do about the rampaging war chief.  
Vereesa did not respond immediately but glanced sideways at Jaina as she considered the question.

“I plan to grieve my husband fully but I am still the ranger general of the silver covenant sworn to defend Dalaran. In the days ahead I will be at the command of the Kirin Tor, ready and faithful as I have ever been”.  
She paused and began again in a soft tone

“ and I will hope that it is the will of the archmage to proceed to punish Garrosh for his atrocities and to bring us both justice…. for Rhonin”. Her voice had trailed off as she spoke, sad eyes cast down as she walked.  
They had now reached the entrance to the silver enclave.

Jaina was afraid Vereesa would start to cry again so she rushed to assure her companion. 

“Vereesa I promise you that I will not rest until Rhonin is avenged and Garrosh has been brought to justice”. 

Jaina’s heart sank again as the high elf looked little assured by her words and stood shifting uncomfortably with her eyes on the ground. Standing between Jaina and her home as if she would bolt through the doorway any second.  
Not taking any chances of Veressa fleeing again she reached out and took her hand. 

“If you truly don’t hate me for your husband’s death, then I need you to promise too” Jaina said with all of the strength in her voice that she could muster, internally fighting back tears as she could feel all of her emotions rising to the surface again.

“Promise me that you will stand by my side as we get through this together, not because of our titles or alliances but because of the people we loved who were lost in such a horrific way. There is far too much darkness in this world and we cannot let it take them from us, not like that. Not without fighting back with all we have… I cant do this alone, you’re the only one left who understands”.

Vereesa simply stared at her for a second eyes wide and brimming with tears again, then she rushed forward and suddenly embraced Jaina. 

“I promise Jaina…together” the rangers voice was close to Jaina’s ear and barely above a whisper. 

“I will never stop fighting the beasts that did this to you…to us. I always tried to trust my husband’s choices but I truly see now how wise his choice of successor was”.  
Jaina held the embrace for a moment and then released the elf to arm’s length, keeping her hands on her shoulders.

“Well then Ranger General I will hold you to that promise” she said giving her best attempt at a reassuring smile and trying in vain to lift the mood between them. 

Vereesa only nodded eyes distant as if her thoughts had trailed off again still trapped in the recent and horrific past.

Jaina gripped her shoulders slightly to bring Vereesa’s gaze back up to meet her own.

“It has been a hard day for you, I had better let you get some rest now and let you collect your sons”. 

As Jaina released her shoulders so she could leave it seemed that Vereesa grew even more depressed, here pointed elven ears drooping slightly.

“Yes I suppose… I just thought you might...never mind” Vereesa stammered awkwardly her eyes again on the ground.

Jaina was again uncertain of what to say or do. She couldn’t guess at what the elf was trying to say but thankfully Vereesa spoke first as if she suddenly regained control of her thoughts.

“You’re right I am overly tired and should rest, thank you for everything tonight archmage”.

“You have been through so much; I am always here for you if you need me… and please stop calling me archmage, Jaina replied. I don’t think I will ever have much use for titles and it makes me feel as old as Antonidas”.

Vereesa grinned at her joke, sharp elven canines gleaming in the moonlight.

“Alright then Jaina, good night” the elf held her gaze a moment longer still smiling and then spun on her heel and sauntered off into her home with the smooth grace typical of her race. 

Jaina watched her for a moment and then headed off in the direction of the violet citadel, her mind going back over the events of the evening. Her heart felt incredibly lighter after her interaction with Vereesa. She felt slightly guilty at having such an emotion on a day of mourning but it was a monumental relief to know that the one person left in the world who shared the trauma she just went through did not hate and resent her for what happened.

Perhaps in time they would even become friends and every time Varian scolded her for hating and wanting vengeance on the horde she would be able to go to Vereesa. The ranger general would tell her that she did not have to feel guilty or wrong for these feelings and that the evil doers of this world may actually get what’s coming to them… perhaps one day perhaps. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night as Jaina lay in her bed in the Violet Citadel the dreams came, as they had every night since Theramore.

They were nightmares really, nightmares where all of her dead friends and family came back to tell her how she had failed them and how they hated her for letting them die.

Jaina had experienced similar dreams for years, after all her short life of barely thirty years had been very traumatic. From the fall of Lorderan , the demonic invasion, the loss of her father and the recent reckoning with Arthas in northrend. All of these events had left scars.

But the recent tragedy at Theramore had broken her and was more than she could bear. She had made progress at putting on a strong face during the light of day but in the darkness of her chambers she was alone with her demons.  
She awoke with a start from the most recent nightmare, body and sheets soaked in a cold sweat.

The dream had been a typical one; Arthas loomed over her with his face contorted, a look of pure disgust. He called her a coward for not following him into Stratholme and that if she had stayed by his side then he would have had the will to overcome frostmourne . The Arthas in her dream berated her stating that he could have used the blade to destroy the Horde and tragedy of Theramore would never have happened. So many Alliance lives would not have been lost.

Half asleep Jaina struggled to clear her thoughts, was he right? Did she leave him in the moment he needed her most? 

Had he already slipped into madness?

She couldn’t remember and she was too weak to try, instead she slumped back against the mattress. Despair crashing over her like a wave in the darkness.

The dream usually ended with Arthas slaying her with frostmourne so that he could save everyone she had lost from herself. As she tried collecting herself however she realized that tonight the ending of the dream had been different. 

There was a new face in her dreams and this one was not angry like the rest. Instead soft blue magically lit eyes had stared back into her own reflecting a similar sorrow but something else as well, strength and trust.

At the end of the dream kind hands had held her and guided her away from the fuming Arthas. Perhaps she could find a guiding pair of hands in reality, someone that would take her out of the mire of sorrow her life had become.  
Maybe there was someone left out there that understood and didn’t resent her for her bitterness and rage.


End file.
